{"title":"Influence of\nleachates on geotehnical and geochemical properties of termite mound soils","authors":"A. Adekunle, F. Nkeshita, Adetayo Akinsanya","doi":"10.37023/ee.8.1-2.4","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"This\nstudy investigated the influence of leachate prepared from Telfairia\noccidentalis on the geotechnical and geochemical properties of termite mound\nsoil obtained from the premises of the federal university of agriculture,\nAbeokuta, south-western Nigeria. The termite mound soil samples were collected\nfrom three different locations and each sample collected was contaminated by\nmixing with leachates in percentage increments of 0% 10%, 15% and 20% of dry\nweight of the air-dried soil. The soil samples were subjected to Atterberg\nlimits and hydraulic conductivity tests for geotechnical observation and X-ray\nfluorescence tests for geochemical tests. The range of values for the\ngeotechnical analyses were obtained as; plastic limit (9.1% – 14.2%), liquid\nlimit (28.6 % – 61%), plasticity index ((18.2% – 49.5%) and hydraulic\nconductivity (1.85 – 4.1 x 10-8) cm/sec) with a resultant reduction\nin the plastic limit, liquid limit and plasticity index values but an increase\nin the hydraulic conductivity of the samples as the leachate concentration\nincreased. The results from X-ray fluorescence analyses after 20% leachate\ncontamination showed that the major elemental chemical composition for the\nthree samples were comprised of SiO2 (56.25 – 56.5%), Al2O3\n(28.42 – 28.50%), Fe2O3 (4.46 – 6.5%), TiO2\n(1.08 – 1.23%), CaO (1.45 – 1.60%), P2O5 (0 – 0.04%), K2O\n(0.9 – 6.1%) and MnO (0.02 – 4.7%). There was a marginal alteration of the\nindices with the values inferring the presence of a minimum composition of\nfeldspar and a major composition of quartz-rich minerals and thus lending more\ncredence to the presence of silicates as shown from the X-ray fluorescence\nresults. It also infers that the termite mounds are predominantly made from\nsand materials. The termite soil samples obtained from the aforementioned\nlocations may not be suitable for engineering works unless stabilization\nprocedure is adopted.","PeriodicalId":50518,"journal":{"name":"Environmental & Engineering Geoscience","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.0000,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"1","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Environmental & Engineering Geoscience","FirstCategoryId":"89","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.37023/ee.8.1-2.4","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 1
Abstract
This
study investigated the influence of leachate prepared from Telfairia
occidentalis on the geotechnical and geochemical properties of termite mound
soil obtained from the premises of the federal university of agriculture,
Abeokuta, south-western Nigeria. The termite mound soil samples were collected
from three different locations and each sample collected was contaminated by
mixing with leachates in percentage increments of 0% 10%, 15% and 20% of dry
weight of the air-dried soil. The soil samples were subjected to Atterberg
limits and hydraulic conductivity tests for geotechnical observation and X-ray
fluorescence tests for geochemical tests. The range of values for the
geotechnical analyses were obtained as; plastic limit (9.1% – 14.2%), liquid
limit (28.6 % – 61%), plasticity index ((18.2% – 49.5%) and hydraulic
conductivity (1.85 – 4.1 x 10-8) cm/sec) with a resultant reduction
in the plastic limit, liquid limit and plasticity index values but an increase
in the hydraulic conductivity of the samples as the leachate concentration
increased. The results from X-ray fluorescence analyses after 20% leachate
contamination showed that the major elemental chemical composition for the
three samples were comprised of SiO2 (56.25 – 56.5%), Al2O3
(28.42 – 28.50%), Fe2O3 (4.46 – 6.5%), TiO2
(1.08 – 1.23%), CaO (1.45 – 1.60%), P2O5 (0 – 0.04%), K2O
(0.9 – 6.1%) and MnO (0.02 – 4.7%). There was a marginal alteration of the
indices with the values inferring the presence of a minimum composition of
feldspar and a major composition of quartz-rich minerals and thus lending more
credence to the presence of silicates as shown from the X-ray fluorescence
results. It also infers that the termite mounds are predominantly made from
sand materials. The termite soil samples obtained from the aforementioned
locations may not be suitable for engineering works unless stabilization
procedure is adopted.
期刊介绍:
The Environmental & Engineering Geoscience Journal publishes peer-reviewed manuscripts that address issues relating to the interaction of people with hydrologic and geologic systems. Theoretical and applied contributions are appropriate, and the primary criteria for acceptance are scientific and technical merit.